BIGGEST NOKIA PHONES LAUNCH IN BID TO MAKE SMARTPHONES MORE AFFORDABLE AND LONG-LASTING

Jeddah: gulftech

Six new Nokia phones were announced on 8 April, as the Finnish phone maker aims to make smartphones more affordable and long-lasting to help encourage users around the world to keep their phone longer.

The devices follow a global trend report conducted by Fly Research after speaking to 5,750 participants from 31 different countries, including Saudi Arabia.

Stephen Taylor, CMO at HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, said: “This report not only highlights the love that people globally have for their phones, but also the growing wish for a mobile they can trust will keep all their information safe that they can keep for longer. Each of our six new phones answers a concern that consumers around the world have raised. Their high-quality performance is maintained over several years of use, they all have regular software updates to keep them secure at all times and all the phones, no matter at what price point, work on the latest Android platform.”

Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President for HMD Global MENA & India said: “As the survey shows, people around the world invest a significant amount of time in their smartphones now. Saudi Arabia, too, mirrors this global trend with 94 per cent of respondents here claiming to ‘love’ their phones and 80 per cent wanting phones that can stand the test of time. The bond that users have with these devices will only grow in the future. Through our innovations, we want to be a catalyst in strengthening and prolonging that relationship. The latest Nokia phones come with trusted security features and are designed to last. It shows how the philosophy of ‘Love it. Trust it. Keep it’ is integral to our mission of creating purposeful technology available to all.”

INTERACTION

According to the findings, mobile phone usage globally has risen by 90 per cent over the last 10 years. We are so reliant on our phones that we touch them an average of 142 times a day, spending 18 hours and 12 minutes a week looking at the screen – the equivalent of watching the first two seasons of Game of Thrones back-to-back.

The top five ways we use our phones globally:Browsing the internet

Listening to music

Browsing social media

Gaming

Messaging

In Saudi Arabia, 28 per cent have actually claimed they spend up to 30 minutes looking at their phone’s screen, followed by 25 per cent who spend up to one hour. Mobile phones have become a central hub in our lives — 86 per cent in the country use them for monitoring their finances, 83 per cent use their phones for shopping, roughly the same number that uses it for fitness, workouts and tracking, while 81 per cent turn to their handset for transactions. 

OUR TRUST IN TECHNOLOGY

Trust is an important factor when choosing our mobile partner – 85 per cent of respondents in Saudi Arabia say that knowing their phone is secure is very important to them. Over half (58 per cent) admit to being worried about being scammed, with a surprising 41 per cent of Gen Zers (18-24 year olds) saying they have already been scammed.

On a positive note, 29 per cent admit that they update their software at night automatically, followed by 27 per cent who update straight away. However, almost half of the respondents (47 per cent) do not know if their phone has the latest security updates or not, leaving them vulnerable to threats and hackers.

CUTTING DOWN THE CHURN

When it comes to how long the respondents in Saudi Arabia keep hold of their phones, on an average, the waiting period is anywhere between 12 and 18 months. Only 9 per cent keep their phone for more than three years. Despite this, 80 per cent admit that they would like to keep their phone for longer and would if the devices maintained their performance over time.

The findings suggest that an overwhelming majority of Saudi Arabian consumers are price conscious with 71 per cent here saying smartphones have become too expensive

Respondents in Saudi Arabia are becoming aware about the brands they choose as 80 per cent actively seek out companies that offer a sustainable offering when making purchases, such as packaging and products. Additionally, three quarters of the respondents in Saudi Arabia (71 per cent) are concerned about the excessive electronic waste produced and 61 per cent users make an effort to buy products that help the environment.